IFC Health

We are thrilled to announce that registration for IFC's 10th Global Private Health Conference, which will be held February 18-19, 2025, in Bali, Indonesia, is now open! As Zeynep Kantur Ozenci, Global Head of Health, says, "Together, we can make lasting progress on sustainable, accessible, quality healthcare for all." Please join us in Bali and take part in the collective action to achieve Universal Health Coverage. Check out our agenda and register here: https://lnkd.in/gDpk8zEt Farid Fezoua, Zeynep Kantur Ozenci, Raju Narayan, Silven Chikengezha, Isabelle Portebois Benjelloun, Carla Ricchetti, Zhendong Song , PhD, Aliza Marcus, Macarena De Martini, Rosalva Canipa, Miriam Zaki, Romina Ferreira Peña, Melina Fleury Franco, Mariko Zapf #IFCHealth #healthcare #medtech #healthtech #PE #VC #disruptivetechnology #pharma #equity #healthequity #uhc IFC - International Finance Corporation

To make vaccines, treatments, and other vital health products available to people in low- and middle-income countries, we must expand manufacturing capabilities. From a recent Center for Global Development article, "A key challenge is that manufacturing for health products is concentrated in a handful of countries. COVID-19 vaccines were initially produced only in the European Union, United States, Russia, China, and India—a distribution that mirrors the limited geographic footprint of vaccine manufacturing capabilities. This makes reliance on imported health products a reality in regions like Africa and Latin America." Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/ejhqk9yp

Declining fertility and aging populations are shaping the future of global economies. Discover how these demographic trends are influencing work, healthcare, and public finances in the latest issue of IMF Finance & Development Magazine. https://lnkd.in/emGfjMxY

Listen to what Silven Chikengezha says about committing to and achieving ethical conduct in healthcare. Silven is IFC's Global Sector Lead for Health Services and the head of the EPiHC (Ethical Principles in Health Care) Secretariat. EPiHC, implemented in partnership with the Government of Japan and others, is a platform that helps leaders commit to ten universal principles for ethical decision-making in healthcare. It's also an active community for stakeholders to discuss common challenges and solutions. We hope you will join the EPiHC community of 370 members from 100 countries by becoming a signatory! https://lnkd.in/gcGiYKwX Zeynep Kantur Ozenci I Charles Dalton I Yana Gorbatenko I Sicco van Gelder I Anna Shen I Dr. Kirti Kataria I Aliza Marcus I Japan - The Government of Japan #ethicalhealthcare #healthcare

David Clarke, Team Leader of Systems Governance and Stewardship at the World Health Organization, has dedicated most of his professional career to improving public health. IFC had the privilege of interviewing Clarke for our bi-monthly health newsletter about the importance of using private sector resources to achieve public health goals. “Ministers of Health must decide what they want to achieve with the private sector and recognize that the private sector can be a great source of capacity and innovation.” Clarke also talks about the WHO Progression Pathway, which was developed to help governments collaborate with the private sector to close gaps in healthcare. It was a terrific conversation, and you can read the entire interview here. https://lnkd.in/gjBe6B2K Farid Fezoua I Zeynep Kantur Ozenci I Charles Dalton I Andrew Myburgh I Raju Narayan I Silven Chikengezha I Michael Schunk I Subir Basak, Ph.D., MBA I Zhendong Song , PhD I Carla Ricchetti I Aliza Marcus I Melina Fleury Franco #IFCHealth #healthequity #healthcare #collaboration #SDGs

Excited to be in India! Over the next few days, we will engage with leaders from both the public and private sectors to explore new ways to foster sustainable and inclusive economic growth. I am particularly eager to discuss how we can further promote digital innovation, support the scale-up of disruptive technology solutions, and strengthen local private equity (PE) and venture capital (VC) markets. India's digital economy is on a remarkable trajectory, with projections indicating it will reach a trillion-dollar valuation in the coming years. This is creating vast opportunities for job creation, improved access to essential services, and market development – including in high-potential sectors like agtech, healthtech, and fintech. I look forward to meeting public leaders, innovative startup founders, as well as PE and VC fund managers to discuss how IFC and the World Bank can further support India’s businesses and help expand their access to growth capital. Our discussions will also focus on promoting gender equality, to ensure that everyone has equal access to the benefits and opportunities of the growing digital economy. Stay tuned for updates and insights from these important discussions. Neha Grover I Hoi Ying So I Mohamed Eissa I Nicholas Vickery I I IFC Asia Pacific The World Bank #IFCgender #Innovation #SustainableGrowth #DisruptiveTech #DigitalEconomy #India #PrivateEquity #VentureCapital #GenderEquality #Inclusion

THE STATUS QUO NEEDS A PLOT TWIST! Financial Sustainability in the Emerging Markets Health Sector Research may vary, but we can agree that Emerging markets face substantial funding gaps in their health sectors. A 2019 report by the Geneva Association estimated an annual health protection gap of $310bn, likely worsened by COVID-19. There are, of course, many contributing factors. From a direct funding perspective, there is; - Funding Instability: Variance in government funding driven by economic conditions, consistency of donor contributions (but not dependency!), and out-of-pocket payment leads to instability. - Resource Shortfalls: Many countries need help to provide adequate healthcare services due to significant resource shortfalls driven by past lack of investment. The challenge is made more complicated given the population shift, changing disease patterns (the rise of non-communicable diseases), and now the impact of climate. There is no magic funding wand to fix the solution. Governments, donors, payors, and providers must work towards getting more value from each dollar spent. Not an easy task! Here are some high-level suggestions and questions. Each requires an assessment against specific country requirements. - How can available funding be applied and utilized more smartly?   - How can technology be financed and leveraged to support improved value or resource gaps?   - Is there the potential for improved public and private collaboration underpinned by solid performance oversight? - Can more appropriate and intelligent use of private sector investments contribute to innovation?   - Expand social and private insurance to reduce out-of-pocket payments, promoting more efficient healthcare delivery. New or expanded insurance thinking is required to manage care better and help derive improved value throughout health systems! - Build better referral systems to coordinate care more smartly, avoid duplication and repetition, and put the patient first. - Use AI and data analytics correctly to improve efficiency and reduce costs, ensuring better and hopefully aligned health information systems that are set up to talk to one another. - Increase oversight and implement measures to prevent fund misuse. Increase controls, conduct regular audits to ensure funds are used appropriately, and increase accountability to how and when funds are spent. - Involve communities in health planning and decision-making to improve the relevance and acceptance of health interventions. Addressing the funding gap and achieving financial sustainability requires a multifaceted approach. Emerging markets can hopefully move towards more sustainable and effective healthcare systems by diversifying funding sources, improving efficiency, leveraging technology, and ensuring more robust governance.

🦠 Malaria Diagnosis Enhanced with AI – Case Overview Malaria remains a major public health challenge, particularly in low-income regions like Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and parts of Asia, which bear about 40% of the disease's global burden. In India, malaria continues to be a significant concern, with India accounting for 66% of malaria cases in the World Health Organization’s Southeast Asia region in 2022, according to the World Malaria Report(Frontiers). However, India has made significant strides, achieving an 85% reduction in reported cases since 2015 after launching the National Framework for Malaria Elimination in 2016(World Health Organization (WHO)). Despite this progress, accurate diagnosis remains critical to ensure effective treatment and prevent transmission. Malaria Diagnosis Methods: The identification of malaria parasites or antigens in a host’s blood can be done through various methods, including microscopy, rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Microscopy remains the gold standard for malaria diagnosis, allowing for the differentiation of the four key Plasmodium species: P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale, and P. malariae. However, the use of microscopy requires skilled personnel, quality control, and proper equipment. AI100 Powered by SHONIT In response to these challenges, AI100 powered by SHONIT offers valuable assistance in the screening of malaria, especially with remote access capabilities. SHONIT flags malaria suspects with visual evidence, making the diagnostic process faster and more efficient. This is a game-changer, particularly in resource-limited settings where timely diagnosis is critical. Case Example: Malaria Diagnosis with SHONIT Presence of ring forms and banana boat-shaped gametocytes of P. falciparum in the peripheral blood smear, identified and flagged by SHONIT on AI100. P. falciparum, the most virulent form of malaria, has the ability to remodel erythrocytes, leading to potentially life-threatening complications such as cerebral malaria and acute renal failure. Despite its deadly nature, there is research suggesting P. falciparum’s potential in cancer therapy, where its immune activation capabilities could be harnessed to target tumors( World Health Organization (WHO)). Early Diagnosis Saves Lives: Early detection and diagnosis are critical to malaria control and elimination. AI100’s ability to provide early, precise detection allows for prompt treatment and effective surveillance, reducing the disease’s transmission potential. With AI tools like SHONIT, we are one step closer to making malaria history. Case Courtesy: Dr Saumil Sanghavi, Sanghavi Lab, Mumbai #Malaria #AIinHealthcare #SigTuple Dr. Renu Ethirajan Dr Sharitha Naganna Dr Chaitra C Dr Pavithra Devi Dr Gayatri

I welcome President Joe Biden’s announcement to donate vital funds and vaccine doses to support the #mpox response in Africa. This leadership and solidarity is the only way to tackle this outbreak and save lives. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is supporting the response by supplying directly procured doses and unlocking emergency delivery funding. We thank The White House for their trust and faith and stand ready to work together:

#CHAMPION COLLEAGUE. How can we effectively originate investments to meet development needs around the world right now? My colleague Ami Dalal, a Senior Investment Officer based at IFC Headquarters in Washington, D.C., answers that question by looking at the example of our investment in Kera Health Platforms Inc. in Senegal. Kera’s cutting-edge digitalization platform is transforming the country’s healthcare system, benefiting patients and pharmacies alike. I’m proud IFC pushes innovation like this with champions like Ami to deliver a ‘’how right now’’ with our upstream approach. For more on working upstream, listen to Li Yan Chen: https://lnkd.in/ePHppFPW To hear more from Kera Health’s Founder and CEO, check out: https://lnkd.in/eBNbraqA Explore Kera’s website too, which is in the making: https://kera.health/ Moustapha Cisse IFC Health